Abnormal Like Me
by Victory Thru Tears
Summary: *Ch. 7 Added* Adam wants the one that he can't have, but instead of trying to get closer to him, he pushes himself away. A new-ish friend helps him try to cope, but only messes things up further. Slash, of course.
1. Bittersweet Victory

**Title:**  Abnormal Like Me

**Author:**  Victory Thru Tears

**Rating:**  R, because it's slash. Also, it might have violence later on, and a bit of swearing. Depends what I do with it!

**Dedication:**  To Star, because she's my Star. Awww…how sweet is that? I'd also like to apologize to her that I'm writing yet another fic on the side of the Queertet series. But my muse decided to drop this on my head! Don't worry Star, you know how the Queertet rules my mind. Oh yes, and think you for this heading once again.

Also, dedication to Stepherz and Joyful!

**Feedback:**  Of course! Please god, yes!

**Disclaimer:**  Disney owns the Ducks. You know, I might not even return them when I'm finished…I mean, Disney's not doing anything with them! Any characters not in the Ducks movies, though, are mine. 

**Distribution:**  Want, Ask, Take, Have.

**Summary:**  Adam's always been a little shy and quiet. The kid just screams 'repressed gay boy'! Anyway, this is about Adam wanting the one that he can't have. So, instead of trying to get closer to him, he separates himself. Much angst will obviously follow.

**Notes:**  Argh, I know, I shouldn't have taken yet another story under my wing…but I really like this one, and it's going to be short-ish. Anyway, more stories are better than no stories. Chapters should be from Adam's POV, if things change I'll state it. First chapter starts in the last, oh, 3 seconds of the JV-Varsity game.

Chapter One: Bittersweet Victory 

Goldberg looks around scared for a second, and then after the insistent screaming of almost every single person in attendance, shoots the puck in right before the buzzer.

We rush together. We've won. We've defeated Varsity.

I run at Charlie, making sure that he's the first person that I embrace. The rest of the team collides with us, and we gather ourselves in a giant group hug. Even Orion joins in.

I hug Julie, then Ken, then Guy. The Bash Brothers catch me in the middle of one of their chest butts, but quickly back off when I yell about my wrist. 

It takes me a few minutes, and I realize that Charlie is missing. I look around for him.

He's engaged in deep lip-lock with a girl.

My heart rips in half.

Fulton grabs me in a headlock and ruffles my hair. I try to swallow the lump in my throat and laugh along with him and Portman.

Wow, what a bittersweet victory.

I bite back the tears that are threatening to spill out. How could I be so stupid? He's a great guy. Perfect, actually. Ok, so he's a little hotheaded at times, and he's really stubborn…but he's handsome and talented and smart and funny and…

Straight.

Yeah, that's right. What else could he be? He's too perfect to be…abnormal like me. I've heard Julie complain before, "All the good guys are gay", but I'm going to have to argue. All the good guys are straight, and fall for girls that look like something between a rat and a snake. 

Who is the girl, anyway? She looks familiar, but I can't place her. I know I've seen her before, but not with Charlie; I would have probably had a seizure if I had.

Charlie skates back towards us, cheering and hugging everyone. His girl smiles at him for a moment, and then leaves.

Charlie throws his arms around my neck.

"You did it, Banksie…see, you are a real Duck! Don't _ever_ say you aren't again!" He yells in my ear.

I try to laugh and hug him back, but I know it's a really weak attempt. He doesn't seem to notice, and moves on to hugging Russ.

I skate off of the ice numbly. I'm glad that I can change in peace once in the locker room. As I'm leaving I hear everyone else coming in. They probably don't even notice that I'm gone. 

Once in my dorm room, I struggle to make the tears come out. I haven't cried in weeks, but god have I wanted to. It always feels better to get out a good cry.

I've never felt so alone.

Why, though? He hasn't rejected me. If anything, I should have expected this. I've been bracing myself for it for the past two years.

It's hard to believe that it's been that long. I've known him for four years, and been in love with him for half of the time. I can't pin down when I fell for him to an exact moment, but I know that it slowly just happened. And I was deluded enough to believe that he felt the same.

Through the years there have just been little things that have made me think that. Like the way that he gave up his spot for me when my wrist was healed during the Goodwill Games. Or that time in the first couple weeks of school when my room was being repainted and I had to stay in his. He accidentally came in while I was changing, and the electricity that filled the room…man.

Even when we fought a few weeks ago during the unofficial JV-Varsity match. He sounded like he was upset because he loved me.

None of that is true, of course.

Now I can't believe what I've done. I'm not good at anything, just hockey. So I gave up my spot on Varsity to be with a guy that doesn't even like me?

No, Adam, that's not right. You gave up your spot for the _Ducks_, not just Charlie.

To hell with that! It was all for Charlie! Everything is for Charlie. He's the only thing that keeps me going.

I wonder if I can talk the coaches into letting me back on Varsity. Because I can't bear to look at Charlie anymore than I have to. Not now that I know that nothing is going to happen with him. My infatuation has to stop, and it's not going to if I keep hanging around him.

My roommate comes in, a triumphant grin on his face. "Good job, Banksie! You were awesome!"

"Thanks Lucas." I can't really get used to him calling me Banksie. He only started after hearing the Ducks do it. Before, I used to be Adam. I prefer that instead of Banks, Banksie, Cake-eater, and any other nickname they come up with to use on me. I'm a real person for god's sake.

Lucas is my roommate. He's not on any sports teams; he's not outrageously smart, or even outrageously rich. He's just an average guy. That's what I like so much about him. He doesn't try to be anything he's not, and he just makes me feel at ease. 

"That was a great save you pulled, too- what luck, jumping in front of the goal like that!"

I shrug. I just wanted to win.

"Listen, your friends told me to tell you to go meet them in the cafeteria. They want to celebrate your victory, Duck-style." The grin looks like it's going to split his face. "And that's a direct quote from that Averman guy."

I shake my head, and lay down on my bed. "I'm not really feeling too good."

"Oh, what's up?" His smile falters a bit. 

"Nothing, I'm just feeling a little sick."

"Well, that sucks, you just winning a big game and all. Hey, you wouldn't mind if I left, would you? Marco said that he was going to set me up with this chick Lily, maybe you know her…she's one of the JV cheerleaders. Anyway, she's really hot, and I…"

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Typical straight freshman male. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll just be here."

"Ok, that's cool." He starts for the door again. "If I see the Ducks I'll tell them you're sick."

I nod, and he closes the door behind him. 

The party will be raging on for hours. But I don't feel like attending at all. I'm just going to curl up here and die. It's better that way. Because then I won't have to watch Charlie break my heart some more. It's unbelievable how much pain I'm going through because of him, and he doesn't even know it.


	2. In the Middle Again

**_Author's Note_**_:__I don't know why I always put these in front of every chapter…I just like it. Just like I like torturing Adam. I know everyone loves making Banksie-angst, but…its just so much fun! He's a good character to mess around with. I was asked a question on one of my other stories, but I might as well answer it here. Yeah, I'm taking a little break from Breeze, but only from Breeze. I'll still be updating this and She Screams in Silence. Anyway, read, and enjoy the torture I'm making Adam go through. _ Chapter Two: In the Middle Again 

Only Varsity Coach Wilson would have practice this early. 6 am is ridiculous. Of course, they _did_ just lose to the JV team last night. But leave it to Coach Orion to make the winning team practice at 9. 

I walk into the locker room after talking to Coach Wilson. He said that he would have to talk to Coach Orion about it, but how would I feel about being an alternate for the time being? You know, be benched on Varsity, starting center on JV? 

I didn't know they could do that. But it's what I'm doing now.

Charlie barges into the locker room. He always has a confident aura around him, giving you the idea that he's hot stuff, and he knows it.

"Hey Banksie!" He says, giving me his trademark grin.

No, no…why does he have to be so damn cute?!

"Hi Charlie." I croak out. 

"You feeling better? Sorry you couldn't come to the party last night. It was great!" He sets his stuff over near his locker, and starts to take off his pants.

This is why I always try to avoid him in the locker room. It would _not_ be good for me to watch him get undressed. I mean, we don't get naked, but still. The principle is the same.

"Where's everyone else?" Yes, I'm aware that my voice has just gone up about three octaves. I try to clear my throat and sound normal.

"Oh, they're coming. I was just up a little early, so I decided to be on time for once."

I nod. It figures.

"Why are you here so early?" Great. Now he's standing there in only a t-shirt and his boxers. I'm sure my face is the color of a tomato. 

"I…needed to talk to Coach Wilson." I stutter. 

What's Charlie going to think about me being [kind of] on Varsity? He hated me last time I was with the Warriors, and it wasn't even by my own choice then. I try to remind myself that I went to talk to Coach Wilson because of Charlie, and that it doesn't really matter what he'll think.

But what if I lose my friends again? What if the Ducks hate me again? What if…

Adam, shut up. You knew the answer to all of these questions before you even woke up this morning and came to the rink. If it were that big of a deal to you, would you have even come to talk to the Coach?

The Ducks are one big clique. Everyone knows that. But in our big clique, we branch off into small pairs. Seeing that there are thirteen of us, someone's the odd man out. That someone is me. 

Russ and Charlie, Ken and Julie, Connie and Guy (yes, even though they broke up a month ago, they still act attached to the hip), Dwayne and Luis, Fulton and Portman, Averman and Goldberg. 

I had someone before…good old Jesse. His mom has always been really sick, and it got especially bad this last summer. Jesse decided that he was going to decline the scholarship from Eden Hall to live at home with her. I can't say I don't respect his decision; I love Mrs. Hall like my own mother. But I sure do miss him.

"Why did you need to talk to - "

The rush of Ducks that enter the locker room cut off Charlie. I swear, sometimes the constant chattering that they make really does sound like quacking. 

"Hey, Banksie!"

"What's up, Adam?"

"Too bad you weren't there last night, Cake-eater!" 

I'm slapped on the back and punched on the arm about nine times. Finally, everyone settles into changing. Seeing as how I'm already dressed, I start to leave the locker room.

Charlie catches me by the arm, and pulls me aside. He has a troubled expression on his face. I get the strangest feeling that I've had a dream like this before. Any minute now he's going to ask me where I've been all his life…I'll respond with 'right here, waiting for you.' Then, he'll lean down and give me the greatest kiss I'll ever get, right here in front of the Ducks. 

He opens his mouth to speak, and I wait eagerly.

"Why did you need to talk to Coach Wilson?" 

I silently kick myself in the head. Adam, you're an idiot.

"I…"

"Come on you guys, let's not be late…we want to keep Orion in a good mood." Connie comes by and pulls me away from Charlie.

"Yeah, I for one do _not_ feel like skating 20 laps today." Kenny agrees, following us. 

Charlie looks a little perturbed, but he follows us anyway.

Orion is already waiting for us on the ice. Much to Kenny's dismay, he orders that we skate 20 laps, and then get ready for scrimmage.

"Banks come here." He thunders. Why does he have to yell so early in the morning? I'm right here…

I skate over to him as my teammates start to do their laps. Charlie gives me a suspicious look. I quickly turn away. 

"I just had a little chat with Coach Wilson." Orion starts. "Do you want to tell me what this is all about?"

Good thing I had a speech prepared for Wilson. Now I can use it on Orion, too. "Yeah. I just…I love being with the Ducks and all, they're a second family to me. But hockey is the most important thing in my life, and I want to be able to get the right challenges and training so that I can…go all the way." 

I almost choke saying the last part. I'm starting to sound like an echo of Jack Reilly. And here I am, just spending the past four years trying to convince myself that I was never a true Hawk. 

Coach Orion nods. He looks satisfied with my answer. 

"You're ambitious. That's a good thing. Yeah, I think our arrangement will work out just fine, then." He claps his hand on my back. "You're a fine hockey player, Adam, and a good kid. Now get to those laps! Don't do all of them, just 15."

I try to grin. "Thanks Coach." 

 We enter the locker room, tired after a long practice. I'm at the back of the line, as usual, and I ram into Luis as everyone stops.

"What is it?" 

"Hey, watch those hands!"

"Guys, what's going on?"

"Why'd you stop?"

I'm lucky I'm tall. I peer over everyone else's head. All I can see is a lot of white stuff. We slowly enter the locker room, and I see what the white stuff is.

Feathers.

They're all over our stuff. Why did we leave our lockers open? The wall is written on in shaving cream again. It reads 'Ducks Are Plucked.'

"What is this?" Averman asks as he touches his sweatshirt. "Did they _glue_ it to our stuff?"

"It looks like it…" Fulton answers. "Maybe they used…spray glue?"

"Is there even such a thing?" Julie sounds really pissed off. Probably because of her budding romance with Scooter, the Varsity goalie. I'll have to assure her later that he had nothing to do with this. We were always the outsiders on Varsity, and I got to know him pretty well.

I walk to my locker, and find that it is probably the worst of all. Feathers are all over my clothes, shoes, and extra hockey stuff…there's a note taped to the back of the locker. I pluck it off the sticky surface and unfold it.

We heard about your little arrangement, Banksie. Don't think we're going to let you off half as easy as we did before. You're always going to be a Duck, and we're not going to forget it.

_Love,_

_Captain Riley and the Eden Hall Varsity **WARRIORS** _

I quickly crumple it up and shove it into my bag as Charlie starts to speak.

"I hope they don't think that this is over with. We beat them at hockey; we'll beat them at this. Get brainstorming, Ducks…we're having a meeting at the pond at 2." 

He finishes switching his ice skates with roller blades, and leaves the locker room, still dressed in his practice gear. 

The conversation starts back up again, but I stay silent. Great. So I'm going to be in the middle of yet another prank war. The Varsity is going to be out to get me, and once the Ducks find out that I'm on Varsity, so will they. It's just like before- I wasn't even doing the pranking, but I was still always the one to get the blame! How stupid are the Ducks? Of course Varsity didn't let me know about the pranks ahead of time, they knew I'd rat them out to the Ducks. 

I sigh, and dig my roller blades out of my feather-infested bag. I grab my stuff and shove it together. I can deal with getting the feathers off later. I put on my skates, and leave. 

Charlie's right. I do have to get brainstorming. I have to figure out how to get myself out the mess that I so easily made for myself. 


	3. Operation Warrior Omelet

**Author's Note:** Omelet, Omelette, Omlet, Omlette, and B. After asking different people all day, I finally resorted to using my Microsoft Word Dictionary. It gave me Omelet. Let me just tell you, the English language is a very fierce rival. It's always tricking you and such. Anyway. There's the budding of a friendship at the end of this chapter. I originally had Guy in Russ' place, but I decided that it would be out of character for Guy to stray from Connie's side, and switched him with our favorite South Central Los Angeles delinquent. Still not satisfied with this chapter, but I'm sure it will have to do.

**Dedication:** 'B' as an alternative spelling for Omelet. Thanks, Colin.

Chapter Three: Operation Warrior Omelet

"Shhh!" Connie scolds Averman, cutting him off mid-joke. "Do you want to get us caught?" 

He shakes his head guiltily.

It doesn't really matter- we're going to be caught anyway. Varsity was in detention when they put the Ducks' clothes in the shower (Scooter told the Dean I wasn't involved, so I wasn't penalized) and the Ducks were in detention when they froze Varsity's clothes. Plus, Varsity had been in detention _again_ after the feather incident. Just because we're jocks doesn't mean that the administrators won't be strict with us, no matter what the other students think. So I have to ask, why do the Ducks think we're not going to get caught? 

"That's called being counter-productive!" Goldberg says loudly as Russ cracks an egg over his head.

"Can you _not_ shut up?" Connie hisses again.

"Incoming…" Ken calls from Portman's shoulders. A glob of shaving cream falls to the floor in front of them. The wall now reads "Warr ors" 

It had been Dwayne's idea, actually. He had suggested we get live ducks and set them free in the locker room, and wouldn't it be funny if they laid eggs? 

Yeah, he got a lot of weird looks for that one.

We finally convinced him that it would be a little hard to find live ducks in October in Minnesota. But Charlie had pushed the egg idea a little…

So here we are, armed with a dozen cartons of eggs in the Varsity locker room. We're supposed to be splattering their clothes and shoes with about 8 eggs per player. Kenny and Portman are taking care of the shaving cream message that we do every time. It's kind of funny this time…it's going to say, "Warriors are scrambled." 

Averman has christened our mission "Operation Warrior Omelet." Russ wanted to try to actually fry some eggs to put into the lockers, but we quickly suppressed that idea.

This is my first prank in the war of the hockey teams. Julie lovingly dubbed me a 'prank virgin.' I think I want to keep 'saving myself', because I'm really not having too much fun.

I sigh. I haven't helped at all so far, just kind of stood there stupidly. I guess I should get to work. I look at the locker right in front of me. Just my luck. I can tell by the name on the letter jacket that it's Scooter's.

"Hey, are we doing Scooter's?" I ask hesitantly.

"He's on Varsity…" Guy says, but I see him glance at Julie.

She shrugs. "Guys' right. He _is_ on Varsity." 

Julie has been ignoring Scooter since the feather incident, despite his repeated attempts to talk to her. 

I'm still hesitant. Scooter was the only one to stick up for me to Varsity when it came to the Ducks. I'm going to return the favor.

"Yeah, but he doesn't take part in the pranks. I would know." I tell her.

The Ducks all look at each other doubtfully. 

"Hey, Banksie…don't forget what team you're on." Fulton says uncomfortably. "You're a Duck. Ducks fly together."

I could tell him that he's full of crap, and that he's repeating a senseless motto fed to us in grade school. I could tell him that I'm not a Duck, and that he has no clue of what I am. I could tell him that technically, I am also on Varsity. But I don't.

Instead I crack an egg, and drop the yolk into Scooter's locker.

"Sorry." I murmur to the absent goalie.

- + - + -

45 minutes and a carton of eggs later, I'm sitting in my dorm room trying to concentrate on my music homework.

"Write a 2 page essay on the classical style of music, popular in the 18th century. Standard 5 paragraphs, please."

Yuck.

Lucky for me, there's a knock on the door.

"Come in." I call. It's probably Marco, looking for Lucas. He's not here, he's getting extra help with his homework. I turn around, preparing to tell this to Marco.

Charlie and Russ step into the room.

"Hey Banksie! Whatcha doin'?" Russ peers over my shoulder. "Ugh! Forget that, it's not due until Wednesday." 

"That's only 2 days away, and I want to get it done now, since I'm not doing anything else." I argue.

"But you are doing something! You're watching _Clerks_ with us!" Charlie snaps shut the book in front of me, and turns around my chair. 

"You guys…" I roll my eyes. This isn't the first time they've done this. They bring over a movie and we proceed to giggle like girls, on complete caffeine-highs.

All it succeeds in doing is make me fall more in love with Charlie.

Halfway through the movie, Charlie gets up from his spot next to me on the bed. 

"It's already 7?! I promised Linda I'd meet her 15 minutes ago. Sorry guys, we'll have to finish watching later." 

I try to contain my disappointment as he rushes from the room. Stupid f-ing Linda. I don't meant to grumble that last bit out loud, but I do. Russ doesn't seem to notice, and keeps his concentration on the movie. 

Less than five minutes after Charlie is gone, there's another knock on the door.

"Come in." I call again, this time sounding somewhat down and out. 

Much to my surprise, Coach Orion steps into the room.

"Oh good Banks, you're here. I was hoping I didn't have to pull you out of class tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know, you're going to be playing Varsity tomorrow. Cole's still out because of Portman, and the second string, Hutchinson, has the flu. You're free, right?" 

My eyes widen with surprise, and I quickly turn to look at Russ' reaction. He looks both shocked and curious. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm free…" I stutter.

"Ok, good. Be there to suit up an hour before the game. Glad we can depend on you, Banks." Coach grins at me, and then leaves the room again.

The silence between Russ and I is heavily awkward. Very unusual for Russ Tyler.

"Varsity, Banks?" He finally asks.

I slowly nod.

"How come?"

I shrug. "Hockey's important to me. I want to be able to go all the way. And being a starter on Varsity in my freshman year will definitely get me there."

"Is that you talking, or your dad?" 

My head snaps up and I suddenly become defensive. "Hey, shut the hell up. You have no idea about anything with my dad."

"Ok, Adam." Russ backs off. "But seriously, what's up? Don't think I haven't noticed that you've changed."

"How have I changed?" 

"Well, you seem more depressed lately. I don't have to guess to know that it has to do with the Ducks. Anything you want to share?"

I shrug. 

"Well, I'm not going to push, but you should know that I'm here if you need to, you know…talk. I may act like an idiot, but really deep down I'm a nice guy."

I'm not sure whether to take Russ seriously or not. I decide to leave it how it is, and simply nod.

"I should probably get going." Russ gets up, and shuts off the TV. After taking the tape out of the VCR, he turns to me again.

"Just remember what I said." He grins at me, and leaves my room. 

I sigh, and drag myself back to my desk. I slowly open my textbook again, and try to concentrate on writing my essay. But my mind keeps wandering. My thoughts are centered on three main topics right now: Charlie, Varsity, and the conversation I just had with Russ. 

I suppose it wouldn't be too bad to talk to Russ. He _is_ nice, and he'd probably even understand if I told him about Charlie. However, I can't right now. I'm not ready to trust anyone with this. 


	4. Put On Your Game Face

**Author's Note:** I don't like this chapter, but I'm sure it had to be done. Dedication to Star again, thank you for hating her with me. Aren't private jokes fun? Title technically comes from Blink-182's _Man Overboard_ but it sounds like an original title, doesn't it? Why do I always ramble on these damn things? Oh yes, um, a lot of swearing at the bottom. Just one line, though. Chapter Four: Put On Your Game Face 

I slowly enter the locker room. I have just narrowly escaped being caught by Guy and Averman. I hid around the corner when I saw them coming. There's no way I'm going to be caught playing Varsity.

Am I the world's biggest hypocrite? I ask the coaches to put me on the team, and then try to hide it from everyone else.

I should have told the Ducks. But I didn't. Now they're going to learn the hard way. Of course, they'll be at the game. Maybe not all of them, but at least a few. Probably Ken, who has been at all of our other games; Dwayne, who has been hanging around Ken since Luis got a girlfriend; and Charlie, who has a new found interest in all hockey (even Warrior hockey) since Hans' death. 

I tried to convince Charlie not to come. I even tried to get him to do something with Linda instead. He suggested that he just bring her to the hockey game. Yeah, _that's_ a good idea. 

The talk in the locker room stops as the Varsity players notice my presence.

"Look who it is…" Riley sneers.

Everyone in the room has an identical scowl on their faces. Even Scooter looks unhappy. I guess they haven't forgotten the eggs. Of course, that was just yesterday. 

I decide that the best course of action is to just ignore them and get ready for the game. 

Riley saunters over and pushes me into a locker.

"You and your little Duck friends ruined a very expensive pair of shoes." He snarls, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt. 

"Save it." I say, pushing him off.

"Oh no, no, no…" He grabs me again, his face inches from mine.

Coach Wilson, who chooses this moment to walk into the locker room, cuts him off.

"Riley, knock it off. Suit up, Banks." He passes through us and opens the door leading to the ice.

That's just like him. He knows that the Varsity idiots do to the Ducks, but if anything, he encourages them. He only punishes the team if pressured by the Dean and occasionally the Alumni Board. His main concern isn't even hockey- it's winning, and being State champs again.

Riley slowly backs off. "Only because we have a game to win." 

I sigh, and get ready to play.

- + - + -

We're up, 12 – 3 with 2 minutes left in the game. Coach brings me onto the bench and pats my shoulder. 

"Nice hat-trick." He grins, referring to the three consecutive goals I just made. "I think Coach Orion was pleased, too."

I glance around the stands and see the JV coach sitting with the Dean. He looks very 'into' the game. I let my gaze wander. I know I won't be playing anymore, so I can afford to have my mind on other things. I spot a few of the Ducks sitting together. Ken yells as Adkins, the right wing, makes a goal. He and Dwayne stand up to cheer. Charlie and Russ are both sitting, staring at me. Russ looks solemn and Charlie looks really pissed off. As expected.

The buzzer goes off. We've won the game, of course. The Varsity team doesn't cheer and rush together like the Ducks always do, but merely skate off the ice as fast as possible. They must be so used to winning that they're completely void of the pride you get from it.

I'm one of the last to get out of the locker room. Riley tries to push me around a little, but Scooter stops him. As soon as everyone is gone, I think him, and explain how neither Julie nor I were involved in the egg incident. A white lie, but for the best. He in turn thanks me, and hesitantly admits how bad he has it for the Cat. I promise that I'll talk to her.

I leave the rink to find Russ and Charlie waiting for me. 

"Banks, what the hell is that?" Charlie explodes while I'm still two feet away from them. "You're playing Varsity, and you don't even tell me? I'm supposed to be your captain _and_ your friend!"

"Shut up Charlie. Don't start playing the Captain card." I'm tired, and I don't want to argue. But I know I sound more standoffish than intended.

"Fine. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm your friend."

"You're my friend, but you haven't given me the time of day since we got to Eden Hall? You don't even know anything that's going on with me, Charlie. Not even me, either. You're too busy feeling sorry for yourself, or hanging around with your girlfriend to pay attention to _any_ of your friends." I snap back. 

I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth, but I slowly start to feel better because it's actually true. Charlie and Linda have been dating for three days and we've less of him than we do of snow in the middle of July. All the Ducks are complaining…now that he has his C, he doesn't need us anymore. 

Charlie's beautiful face contorts with anger. "I don't pay attention to you? I- no, you know what? Forget it. I give up on you. You're a hopeless cause. Nothing but a rich, preppy, cake-eating Momma's boy. I'll see you around." 

His words have definitely hit their mark. Why is it that no matter how many times I've been called all of those things, they only hurt when they come from Charlie? I can't feel my body as he storms off. Russ is left speechless. 

"Wow." He finally stutters.

I nod, tears already starting to spill out. 

Russ has never seen me cry before. He looks surprised, and moves to comfort me. I pull away, hastily drying my eyes. I hate crying. I hate appearing weak. It only gives them more of a reason to judge me.

"Banksie, I think it's time that we had a talk." 

"I'm fine." I say hoarsely. "I don't need to talk."

"No, you do. I know I'm no Jesse, but you have to be able to talk to your other friends." 

I sigh with resignation. "Fine. Whatever. Let's go." 

We find ourselves in his dorm. Charlie, his roommate, is thankfully not around. Probably out with Linda.

Russ sits on his bed and motions for me to do the same. I cautiously sit on the floor across from him. 

"So start talking." He commands.

I shrug loftily. He actually thinks I'm going to give it up that easily? "You brought me here. _You_ talk." 

He sighs. "Fine. We can do this the hard way." 

Pause.

"I know your secret." He says.

I try to stop my head from snapping up with lightning speed. Calm yourself, Adam. "What secret?"

"Banksie. We all know, Charlie talks about it the most."

"Charlie? Knows my secret?" It's hard to hide the panic in my voice.

"So there is a secret." Russ says smugly. 

"I…I…yeah." I give up. Ok, so he knows that I have a secret. And he says that everyone else knows, too. But…he can't be referring to my feelings for Charlie. He _can't_. 

"It's hard to hide when you're in love with someone, eh?" Russ smiles at me knowingly.

_WHAT_?! HE CANNOT POSSIBLY KNOW! 

"Huh? In love? Who am I in love with?" It sounds more like one long squeak than a sentence. Good job, Banks. If you weren't being obvious before, you sure are now.

"Well Linda, of course."

Shit bastard mother of ass hell damn piss bitch fuck.


	5. Think About It

**Author's Note: **Yay, it's finally here! Dedication to solitaire, for getting me through this chapter, although distracting me horribly. Also to Star and Joyful, for a lot of encouragement! Hopefully chapter six will be along soon. Yup, that's it for me. 

Chapter Five: Think About It

"Linda?" I finally choke out. 

My expression must give away the fact that not only am I shocked, I'm also completely disgusted. Linda???

"Yeah." Russ' face clouds with confusion. "Wait a sec. It isn't Linda?"

I slowly shake my head.

"But it is someone?"

I consider the possibilities. I could lie and go on being perfectly happy (if you can call it that) with no one knowing anything about the real me. Or I could be straightforward and tell Russ at least part of my problems. Yeah, we've never been _really_ close friends, but all of the Ducks are close to a certain point. I could tell him _something_…plus, I'm not a liar by nature. I think I'm going to go with the truth.

"Maybe." Oh yeah, that's being straightforward.

"Maybe? What kind of shit is that? It's yes or no, Banks."

"Sure." I snap sarcastically.

I flush a deep red. I've cornered myself. It's like my brain is disconnected from my mouth…I'm doing the opposite of what I've just decided. But it suddenly occurs to me. What am I doing here? Russ and I _aren't_ close friends, like I've just said. I can't expect to have this conversation with him and get anything good out of it. I was better off on my own, being a one-dimensional teammate of his. At least then I didn't have to worry about what my 'friends' thought of me.

On a whim I jump up from my spot on Russ' floor and head for the door. He jumps up after me and grabs my arm before I can pull open the door. He's faster than I thought. 

There's a tussle as he tries to block me from getting out. He pins me against the door, easily overpowering me. Although I'm taller, he's almost got me beaten. I shove him off and turn to open the door. He seizes me by the shoulders and pulls me back. I whirl around and before I know it, my fist makes contact with his jaw, knocking him back a few feet. 

He doesn't hesitate to punch me back. My head jerks back and I feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. Now almost blind with rage, I raise my arm to hit him again, but he catches it in midair. There's a small tussle, but he finally pushes me down onto Charlie's bed. I lay on my back, blood pouring from my nose, panting. We both have identical grimaces on our faces.

After a moment's pause he grabs a box of Kleenex from the desk and tosses it to me. 

"Here." He says gruffly, sitting next to me.

He stays silent while I wad some tissues together to stick under my nose. Out of the corner of my eye I see him staring at me as I tilt my head back to stop the bleeding. 

Russ absentmindedly rubs his jaw. "You've got a hell of a punch."

I try to shrug, but find that it makes my nose hurt. Instead I try to glare at him out of the corner of my eye.

He sighs. "Banksie, please. I didn't mean to get in a fight with you. I just wanted you to know you can talk to me."

I gingerly move my head down again and stare at him. After my blue eyes have glared into his brown ones for a good few minutes, I tilt my head back up again.

"I have nothing to say." I grunt somewhat nasally. 

"Yeah, you do. You just punched me in the mouth while trying to run out of this room. No one would react like that if they weren't worried about something. And I want to know what's bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me." 

He rises from his spot on the bed next to me. "Damn it, Banks! Stop this stupid charade. I know something's wrong, and I'm not letting you out of here until you tell me what. You're my _friend_. I _care_ about you. You may not realize it, but all of the Ducks are worried sick about you. You've been so weird the last three days, you haven't had anything to eat, you barely talk. We just got you back from Varsity, and now it's like we're losing you again. We…no, screw it, _I_ want to know what is going on."

Russ' little outburst suddenly makes me feel guilty. He's right, for the most part. I have been acting like a jackass. Wallowing in their own self-pity never did anyone any good. 

But does that mean I should just let down all walls, and tell him everything? No, because that would be incredibly stupid. Russ has a huge mouth. He'll probably go blabbing to the Ducks (and especially Charlie) within five minutes of me telling him anything. 

I hate having internal battles.

Russ stares at me expectantly. I sigh, and try to say something. My throat feels scratchy and the roof of my mouth is dry. I'm also scared of what's going to come out once I finally get up the courage to speak.

"It's not that simple." I finally choke out.

"What do you mean?" Russ sits down again, now looking surprisingly considerate. 

"My 'secret', as you called it. It's very complicated." I look down at the bloody tissue in my hand. 

"Well, try to explain it to me. I'm sure if you break it down it will be easy." 

"Russ, I'm gay." I blurt out.

He stares at me blankly for a few moments before a grin splits his face. "That's it? That's what was so hard?"

I gape at him incredulously. _That's it? That's what was so hard?_ What is that supposed to mean?! Of course it was hard! I just came out of the closet for the first time!

I sputter out this last sentence, but Russ only grins wider.

"Here I am, thinking that you're dying or something. Really, Banksie, that's nothing to be ashamed of. I know tons of gay people back in California. Hell, back there there's even more gay people than straight people!" 

I have to laugh at this. "I think that's pushing it, Tyler." 

He laughs, and I laugh. This makes him laugh harder, which makes me laugh harder. Soon we're both rolling around on Charlie's bed, cracking up. Blood is still gushing out of my nose, but this only makes the situation seem funnier.

We finally catch our breath, and I sit up to look at Russ again.

"You really don't care?" I ask him softly.

"Banksie, we live in the twenty-first century. Being gay is totally normal. I have no problem with it, unless…" He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. "You're not putting the moves on me, are you?"

I snort, and blood spurts out of my nose, onto the carpet. We stare it and then back at each other before doubling over with mirth again. After getting myself together, I start to clear up the blood that I have gotten all over Charlie's half of the room.

"He's going to wonder what happened in here." Russ comments, grabbing a Kleenex and helping me.

Upon the mention of Charlie, I feel my fear start to come back. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders after telling Russ about my sexuality, but I really don't want to tell him about Charlie. The wheels in my head are turning, and I've had a sort of revelation. Russ doesn't care about me being gay if he doesn't have to deal with it. But if I tell him that I have feelings for Charlie, the situation takes on another dimension, and everything suddenly becomes very real. It's not so much that I'm not ready for Russ to know, it's that _Russ_ isn't ready for Russ to know.

And surprisingly, I don't think its anything to do with who he is individually. I don't think any of the Ducks would be ready to hear about the details of my mind. 

I'm finally aware that Russ has been staring at me for a few minutes. I must have looked kind of strange while deep in thought, because he's looking at me like I've sprouted wings and a tail.

I grin at him, and the inquisitive look vanishes from his face. I slowly straighten up, wiping my nose with my wad of Kleenex a final time. 

"We should probably head down to the dinner hall." I say, grabbing my bag of hockey stuff from the floor. I haven't been home since the game. 

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll meet you there?" He asks, also rising from the floor.

"Sure." I move to the door, and finally open it to leave. Russ locks it behind us, and I head down the hall to my dorm. 

Upon entering I see that Luc isn't around, he's probably already down eating dinner. I put my bag in its spot in the closet, and then sat down on my bed. I'm kind of hungry, but not really. I feel like being alone, but not because I'm depressed or anything. I have a lot of thinking to do. Russ has shown me a different point of view, a point of view that shows me that the Ducks might be supportive if I ever did decide to come out to them. 

I'm not quite happy, but I'm not anything else, either. This is a really strange feeling. Maybe I should just go down to dinner.

I raise myself from the bed, and leave the room.


	6. Representatives of Obligation

**Author's Note: **Dedication to Fyre Eye, for all of her really nice reviews of my stories! It's nice to know that someone likes that I'm doing, besides the other half of my brain! *eyeballs Star* 

Chapter Six: Representatives of Obligation

It's not until about fifteen minutes of dinner have passed that I realize the Ducks are strangely quiet. Usually I keep to myself, especially at mealtimes, and let the commotion occur around me. But tonight the others are just as quiet as me. Russ catches my eye often, and I figure that something was said before I came to the table. 

Charlie sits down the table from me, and out of the corner of my eye I see him shooting glares at me. It only succeeds in making me feel more disconnected from the Ducks. It's like I never came back from Varsity. Although really, in a way I haven't. I am on the other team, aren't I?

I scoot my chair back, the scraping sound unusually loud through the silence of my team. I stand, ready to get a second helping of food. A silent conversation passes through the Ducks, evident by their blinks and the exchanging of glances. I try to ignore it and head for the food line. Once I'm a good four feet away from the table the whispers start. I can't make out what they're saying, but I can bet my family's entire fortune that it's about me. In a few seconds I hear someone walking behind me.

"Hey." Julie catches up with me as I get into the food line. 

My first inclination is to ignore her, the Ducks have obviously chosen her to speak for them. But for some reason I remember the promise I had made to Scooter earlier. Maybe I can have a conversation with the Cat Lady, avoiding all subjects concerning me. 

So I force a grin and answer her. "Hey."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." I respond, gingerly trying to dollop some lasagna onto my plate. 

"Haha, you're so funny." She says, rolling her eyes and following me down the buffet table. "Seriously. What's going on? You're really different lately Adam, is there something wrong? What are you doing playing Varsity?"

If my earlier talk with Russ had ended on a different note, I might be angry at the turn this conversation is bound to take. But right now I find it amusing that I'm hearing this spiel twice in the span of about three hours. Not that I'm doubting Julie's sincerity…no, not at all. I believe that she truly cares about me. Julie and I have always had a pretty good relationship. Not all too close, but we've confided to each other a few times in the past about hockey problems. Key phrase: _hockey_ problems. I've already decided that I'm going to change the subject as subtly as possible, because I don't feel like discussing my sexuality twice in one day. 

"I'm fine. I've just been rethinking a few things about my career at Eden Hall, and decided that it might be a good idea to play both Varsity and JV. Hey, all it means is double the games with the same amount of practice." I'm proud of myself for the smoothness that I say all of this with. The grin on my face also seems to be helping my cause, because Julie looks satisfied with this answer. 

"Oh, that's good." She says, the relief apparent on her face. "We were thinking it had something to do with, well…"

"You all think I'm interested in Linda." I state.

Julie turns a light shade of crimson, and I have trouble hiding my amused disgust. 

"You're not?" She asks tentatively.

"Not in the slightest. But can I ask, what gave you guys that impression?" I notice that by this time we have made it three quarters of the way down the food line, and Julie hasn't put anything on her plate. It confirms my initial belief that the Ducks elected her as their representative in a conversation with me. 

 "You know Charlie, he's always paranoid that someone's out to get him. Add that to the way you've been acting around us, all secretive and moody. Plus, you join Varsity again right after he hooks up with her, you get all dark and stuff when she's mentioned…we couldn't help but assume." She explains.

"Don't assume, it only makes an ass out of 'u' and 'me'." I say lightly as I grab a bottle of Snapple from a cooler.

"Where'd you learn that?" She asks, giggling a little.

"My seventh grade science teacher. But on to better and more important subjects." I say, backtracking through the line to put some salad onto my plate. "I talked to Scooter."

I pretend not to notice the way that Julie averts her eyes.

"What'd he say?" She asks softly. She's probably embarrassed. I know she likes him, but her Duck Pride makes it hard for her to deal with those feelings. Good ol' Charlie…if there's one thing he's done for us, it's that he instilled us with a sense of loyalty. To some of them, the Ducks will always fly together, no matter how stupid or out of line we are. 

"He really likes you, Jules." I say, finally making my way out of the line.

"I guess." She answers, following me.

"No, not any guessing. He really does. He feels bad about what Varsity does to us."

"Us?" Julie repeats skeptically.

My features tighten. I should have expected a jab like that, playing Varsity again. I take a deep breath and continue.

"Yeah, _us_. I'm a Duck too, you know. And contrary to popular belief, the Warriors hate me as much as they do everyone else. Possibly even more." I snap.

"Sorry." Julie says softly. 

"I'm telling you, just talk to him. Maybe it'd be a good idea to get your head out of your Duck feather-covered ass and talk to him."

I say this last part with a grin to let her know that I'm kidding. She reciprocates with a beam, indicating that she'll definitely consider doing this. By this time we've reached the table again. I try to hide my annoyance at the fact that Linda has now joined Charlie, and is chattering avidly by his side.

I see our Captain look at me out of the corner of his eye, and I have to stop myself from either rolling my eyes or bursting into tears. Now that someone has pointed out the fact that they all think I like Linda, I realize that sometimes it may really seem like it. I am going to have to try my hardest to try and appear uninterested in her, while at the same time not letting Russ know that I like one of the Ducks. Great, so basically I have to be asexual. This'll be a fun project.

- + - + -

Practice the next day is hard, possibly because I'm so sore from last night's game. Varsity games move at a faster pace, have harder hits, and are more strenuous. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to try to take on the responsibility of two teams. Oh well. If anyone can do it, I can.

I raise my stick above my head, stretching my arms out. I've just been practicing my shots against Goldberg. I got in 9 out of 12. I can do better that, especially on Goldie. He's not a bad goalie, but he's definitely a better defenseman. 

Across the rink, Charlie takes off his helmet and grins at me. I avert my eyes, giving him no answer. He's been doing all during practice. It means that Russ talked to him last night after dinner. He probably told him that I wasn't interested in Linda, and that he was a paranoid freak. Well, maybe not the paranoid freak part, but he now knows that he has no competition for his unusually environment-obsessed girlfriend. 

Coach blows the whistle, signaling the end of practice. We trudge into the locker room, getting ready to change. Charlie saunters over to me, pulling a flannel shirt over his sweaty white t-shirt. Really, the boy does need to get some fashion help.

"Hey Banksie." He grins.

I grunt and nod an answer. 

"How's it goin'?" He asks, cheerfully oblivious of the way I'm trying to set up a wall between us. This is his way of apologizing, acting like nothing ever happened. Honestly, he's so immature. 

"Fine." I say shortly.

"Hey, listen, about everything that happened before…I was just – " He starts. I cut him off before he can get any further.

"Look, I don't like Linda at all. You have nothing to worry about. And please, don't start making excuses. We're perfectly fine." I snap, gathering my things to leave the locker room.

Charlie's face clouds over. "Sorry I tried to be a good friend, then!"

I snort, and push through the door. Talk starts before I'm even a foot out of the locker room. I hear Averman say to Charlie, "Wow, the Banksie-meister, getting mad at Captain Ducky!"

"Shut it, Averman." Charlie responds. "If he wants to act like a jerk, I'm not going to stop him."

"He is acting like a jerk. I really don't understand the Varsity thing…first he complains about being on the team, then he ditches us for them again?" Connie comments. I feel like rushing in there and telling her to say that to my face, but I restrain myself. 

"Guys, stop. He's still a Duck. Maybe he just loves hockey." I wasn't expecting Goldie to stick up for me, but he just has. I vow never to make fun of his goal-tending skills again. 

"So why can't he love hockey while playing with us?" Fulton asks. 

"He _is_ playing with us, and doing a damn good job of it." Luis throws in his two cents.

"While playing with Varsity!" Charlie yells. He sounds frustrated, although I can't imagine why. 

"He's still a Duck." Julie says quietly. I feel gratitude towards her for that comment, maybe she did get something out of our conversation last night.

There are a few moments of silence, and I figure I should get going. People are going to be coming out of the locker room shortly, and I don't want to be caught lurking right outside of the door. But right as I'm about to leave, conversation starts again.

"So what do you think of all this, Russ?" I hear Charlie ask.

"Me?" He returns.

"Yeah, you. After all, you are Banksie's new best friend lately." Charlie sneers. I'm surprised by the irritation in his voice. 

"Right. Well…" Russ seems to be carefully choosing his words. "I think he just really likes hockey."

Pause.

"That's it?" Portman asks.

"Uh huh." Russ answers. I hear footsteps approaching the door and I quickly leave. Over my shoulder I see Luis and Guy exiting the locker room, but pretend that I don't notice them. 

Once I'm outside of the rink, I stop and lean against the wall. Another gossip session with the Ducks. Really, I expected everything that was said. I was unsure about who would take which side, but I figured they'd be a bit divided. Averman once told me that while I was on Varsity at the beginning of the year, it was the same way. Someone would make a jab about how I wasn't a real Duck, and someone else would defend me. He never said who was on what side, leading me to believe that Averman sometimes felt like I was a traitor.

It's a nice gesture, even if they're defending me for the wrong reasons. They are only doing it because they think that us being a team makes us best friends. I'm not saying that we aren't. In fact, if anything, we're best friends for the wrong reasons. One doesn't befriend a person out of obligation, and if they do, it's a false friendship. You can't force a bond, or true loyalty to one another. That's what the Ducks do, myself included. We're only connected to each other out of duty. I hate that, and it's one of the main reasons why I don't trust people easily. Jesse and I had a real friendship, so did (or so I thought) Charlie and I, and I think Russ and I are on the way to it. But only time will tell, I guess.

I move my aching body from the wall and head back to my dorm. 


	7. Repetition

Chapter Seven: Repetition

I revel in the silence. I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. Then, just to double check, I glance out the window to see if angels are flapping around and balls of fire are raining down from the sky. Nope. Good, it's not the apocalypse.

What's the big miracle, you ask? Russ is actually silent. We're sitting in my dorm, studying for a history test. It's been peaceful for the last half an hour. Yeah, sure, every once in awhile he'll poke me and ask for clarification on something, but it's no more than a two-sentence conversation. 

I can get used to this. The peace and serenity of being alone, while at the same time being in the company of a friend. It's nice.

"So Banksie, how about them Ducks?"

I should have known it was too good to be true. 

I sigh, and look up at him from my notes on Immigration in the late 1800's. "Yes, Russ?" 

"The Ducks. How about them?"

"_What_ about them?" In truth, I could say a lot. It's been two weeks since I listened in on their gossip session, and not much has changed. Charlie and I are giving each other the cold shoulder, and many of the Ducks are following his lead. Interestingly enough, I find that I talk to the "New Ducks" more than the old District 5'ers. Sometimes I think that they still feel like I'm a Hawk. But that's a dumb idea, right?

Please tell me you sense the sarcasm in that last line.

"I don't know. Your thoughts on them as a whole?" Russ prods me. 

I sigh. "Russ, we've gone through this before."

"And you've still never given me a real answer. You've always found a way to avoid the subject. See, I'm not as dumb as I look." He says triumphantly.

I give him a dubious glance, but shift uncomfortably in my seat. "Russ, why do you always try to have these deep conversation with me?"

"Hey, you seem to think that I'm a brainless brother. I'm just trying to prove you wrong."

"I think you have some sort of inferiority complex, because I never said that." I say. 

"See, you're avoiding the subject again!"

I curse under my breath. He caught me.

"So what do you want to know?" I ask resignedly. I _could_ successfully keep avoiding the subject, but I'm tired of talking in circles. I want some new conversation topics to come up.

"Banksie, you're not fooling anyone. The Ducks know that something's wrong with you. But how exactly do you feel about them?" He asks, moving to my bed. He flops down onto his stomach and stares at me. 

I shrug. "They're…the Ducks." 

He sighs furiously. "What the hell _are_ the Ducks to you?"

"Well…" I inhale slowly, trying to get the right words together. "It's not so much what they are, it's what they used to be. They used to be my best friends, they used to be people I could turn to whenever I was feeling down. But then something happened last summer. I grew up. You…you know how things are for me at home. Or at least, you have an idea. It was especially worse last summer, and it made me rethink my priorities, and all of my relationships. And the conclusion I came to about the Ducks is that they don't care for me half as much as I care for them. Especially after the Varsity incident, I decided that it was time to give up." 

I blink. That was way more than I had intended to share. Russ stares back at me, clearly as confused as I feel.

"Let's backtrack. What happened this summer?" He asks.

I shift uncomfortably. It wasn't a good idea to drop a hint about that. I don't have the most pleasant home life. I don't get abused or anything, it's just that my parents don't get along too well. It's bad enough where I _wish_ they would get a divorce. Usually I can find solace in spending time with my brother, but it was his first year of college last year, and he was busy spending the summer with his fraternity. It was not only hell at my house, but also incredibly lonely. 

I shake my head at Russ, not wanting to explain. He sighs and leans forward, clasping his hands together.

"I can't force you to tell me anything. But I wish you would." He pauses. "So basically you don't consider the Ducks your friends anymore? Not a single one of them?"

I shrug. "There are a few, like you and possibly Julie."

He smiles a little. "Good, I was hoping I hadn't been grouped in with the others."

There's another long stretch of silence between us before Russ speaks again. 

"A person can never be happy without friends." 

I stare at him expectantly, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"So if you don't consider the Ducks your friends, there's only one solution." He continues. "Make new friends."

I snort with laughter. "Thank you for that moving realization, Russ Tyler." 

He looks offended. "Hey, I'm serious. You need new friends."

I calm down from my sudden fit of mirth. "I'm serious too. You don't think I've tried that?"

"Obviously not hard enough." He retorts.

"Well what are you going to do, make friends _for_ me?" I stop, and stare at Russ. I don't like the mischievous look on his face. "Russ…"

His grin vanishes in the blink of an eye. "Yes?"

I sigh. "Never mind."

I turn back to studying, but out of the corner of my eye catch Russ grinning again.

- + - + - 

I cautiously walk into the locker room that night. It's my second game with Varsity since I became an interchangeable player. Not that I like the term. Orion gave it to me, but I don't exactly enjoy it. It sounds demeaning, in a way. Then again, it's _Varsity_. There are a lot of people at Eden Hall that can't even play JV because of us Ducks…and I'm playing for both teams.

That last part makes me sound like I'm bisexual. Ha, yeah right. I already have enough to worry about, I don't need to add girls to the list. 

Most of the older team ignores my presences, and I start to suit up in a small corner of the locker room. I've only just put on my jersey when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I whip around, expecting Riley to throw a fist in my face.

Instead, Scooter smiles down at me. 

"Hey!" He says, beaming.

I can't hold back the surprised look on my face. Scooter's usually a pretty happy guy, but never quite this perky. "Uh, hey…" 

He puts his gloves on slowly, and I wonder what he's come over to talk to me about.

"So, Julie's talking to me again…"

Ah, of course. The Cat. I nod, acting as if this is a big happy accomplishment. 

"We're going out to a movie on Saturday, maybe you'd want to come?"

I raise an eyebrow at the goalie. "Me?"

He nods. "Yeah, I was thinking we could do a double date."

"Double date?" I repeat, starting to lace up my skates.

"Yup. There's this freshman in my music class, she seems pretty nice…she expressed a bit of interest in you, and I think you might like her."

"I…" Before I can finish my sentence, Coach Wilson's voice booms through the locker room. 

"TEAM! GET OUT HERE AND WARM UP!" 

"Great." Scooter grins as we stand up and get ready to leave. "So I'll see you tomorrow? I was thinking maybe we could just meet at the theater. How about six?"

"I…" I repeat.

"Come on, let's win this game!" Scooter grabs my arm and pulls me out of the locker room.

Wonderful. Why is it that I keep getting myself into all kinds of stupid messes?


End file.
